Saving Fable

by Scott Reintgen

  Indira Story and the Thunder Brothers

  by Darby Martin

  Indira blinked. “Is that…”

  David threw an arm around her shoulder. “Your story, baby sister.”

  Underglass nodded. “We’ll get David caught up with some specialized tutoring. There’s no mistaking it, though. The Author made his choice. I hope you’re ready to be a protagonist.”

  Indira’s hand drifted instinctually down to her hammer.

  “I was born ready.”

  “Don’t forget your jacket, Indira!” Mrs. Pennington bustled forward. “Ah! I just love that it’s wintertime! Really, it’s perfect practice for our story.”

  Indira couldn’t help smiling. There had been so much good news lately. Gavin Grant had landed a side-character role in a big-time soccer novel, which thrilled him to no end. Margaret—it turned out—had protagonist potential. She’d caught the attention of a young Author and planned on continuing her classes the next semester to keep learning. But the best news of all was that the Penningtons had received their story placement. They would be featured in a short-story collection about life in Chicago. Mrs. Pennington had been buzzing ever since.

  Indira accepted the offered jacket. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “Of course, dear. Now, will you be back for dinner? I’m practicing some classic Chicago recipes, and all Patch will eat is the deep-dish pizza. I need a more refined palate.”

  Indira grinned. “Happy to participate in any of your cooking experiments.”

  Mrs. Pennington made a little shooing motion. “Lovely. Now go on! Have fun.”

  Outside, the sun was already making its descent. Indira had been enjoying a small break from school, which mostly meant that she slept in far too late for her own good. She pulled on her navy peacoat and made quick work of the buttons. The coat had appeared in her closet a few minutes after it started snowing outside. She knew she would miss Fable always knowing what she needed even before she did.

  Down at the end of the street, Maxi and Phoenix waited for her. Indira saw a makeshift bonfire nestled between them. Phoenix was coaxing the flames as Maxi leaned down, rubbing both hands together dramatically. As always, the girl had chosen style over function. Her thick sunglasses warded off sunlight that wasn’t there. She wore an adorable maroon vest with bright leggings, none of which seemed to be keeping her warm.

  “I’m not made for this weather,” Maxi called. “We’ve been waiting forever for you!”

  Phoenix smiled at Indira. “It’s been about two minutes.”

  “Sometimes forever is just one second,” she replied.

  Phoenix frowned. “What does that even mean?”

  “Not sure. I think I read it on a bumper sticker.”

  Both of them laughed at that. A second later Maxi had positioned Phoenix between the two of them. She linked arms on one side and gestured for Indira to do the same.

  “Sorry to invade your personal space,” she said. “But you’re basically a walking heater.”

  Phoenix offered his arm to Indira. She managed to only blush a little as she took it. The extra warmth came instantly. And just like the first day they met, the three of them set off together.

  Snow billowed around them. Great clouds blanketed the sky. It was late in the afternoon but already felt like night because of the shorter winter days. Indira glanced over at Maxi and couldn’t help asking the obvious question. “Do you really need those sunglasses?”

  Maxi smiled. “Oh. You haven’t heard? Someone’s an Editor-in-training!”

  Indira let out a whoop. She pulled around to hug Maxi, which forced Phoenix awkwardly into the hug as well. “Of course you are! That’s amazing, Maxi.”

  “It’s no big deal,” Maxi replied, clearly still giddy. “I’m just going to, like, save the world and stuff. It’s totally a piece. People like us? We do it all the time.”

  Indira grinned again. A cold gust swirled around them as they turned the corner into Fable proper. She loved the city’s current costume. The whole place looked like something out of a Charles Dickens novel at Christmastime. Snow caught in the nooks and crannies of each huddled building, and everything was backlit by glowing lanterns and bright windows. Indira thought the buildings all looked like they were snuggling together for warmth. She held tighter to Phoenix’s arm as they headed straight for a familiar building. The Talespin was waiting for them.

  “Are you sure about this, Indira?” Maxi asked. “I don’t want you to be weirded out.”

  Indira nodded firmly. “I want it to be our place. Not her place. You know?”

  Phoenix squeezed her arm a little and smiled. The three of them made their way inside and joined the packed crowd. Mr. Threepwood had already had a grand reopening earlier that week. The mirror had been removed until the Wizard Union could be certain no one else might use it for nefarious purposes. Indira stood in line, laughing with her friends, waving at a few folks who swung by to say hello. They ordered white mochas and rounded the corner.

  Mr. Threepwood was waiting there. “Indira! I’m glad you could come.”

  She frowned. “Huh?”

  “Oh!” Maxi rushed forward. “She doesn’t know yet. It’s a surprise.”

  “Right!” Mr. Threepwood gestured. “Follow me.”

  Indira shot her friends a look, but they just shrugged, half laughing, as Threepwood led them through the crowded room. A back table had been cleared away. Indira was surprised no one was sitting there, considering how packed the place was. And then she finally saw the golden plaque that had been nailed to the wall above the booth:

  PERMANENTLY RESERVED FOR INDIRA STORY

  “Sacrifice is the highest call of every character in every story.”

  Thank you for thinking we were worthy of yours.

  “I had it made for the grand reopening,” Mr. Threepwood said. “Thank you, Indira.”

  She didn’t trust herself to speak without crying. It was the kindest thing in the world. Before Indira could burst into tears, though, Maxi swept her into the booth. These were their seats now. A permanent place in the world she loved so much. Phoenix made a grand toast. The three of them tipped their mugs together and sipped their drinks and spent the evening laughing about everything and nothing. Indira knew they were sitting in the same room where Brainstorm Ketty had attempted her dark deed, but that wasn’t the memory she’d take with her as she continued her journey. She felt as if the memory of Brainstorm Ketty was already fading.

  Her friendships—and this place—were too bright for anything dark to last for long.

  Indira spent her final few days in Fable with friends and family. Her Author had officially begun outlining a story that featured her and a whole cast of other fun characters she couldn’t wait to meet. Brainstorm Underglass had explained that heroic actions—such as saving an entire school from imminent destruction—often echoed between the worlds. Her victory had swirled into the mind of Darby Martin and taken hold. She was going to be a protagonist in an actual story.

  It was hard to say goodbye when the time came, but it helped to know that it was far from permanent. She hugged Phoenix so tight that he coughed out smoke. He was planning on continuing his studies at Protagonist Preparatory, but he promised they’d see each other soon, and the little glint in his eye had her stomach leaping. Maxi lowered her sunglasses, winked once, and promised to watch out for her whenever she could. Mrs. Pennington made her pancakes one last time, and Patch held a rather adorable ceremony to make her his “official” sister. Indira left feeling that she was the luckiest person, in any world.

  I would tell you what happened next in Fable, my dear reader, but you know what they say….That’s a whole other story.

  Penny and her friends were at the mall. It was a Friday night.

  The three girls roamed through the stores, trying on clothes and
laughing at odd mall people as they went. They saw those boys with the cute hair from that other middle school. One of them even waved.

  It wasn’t a particularly eventful night, but at some point Penny’s friend Emma forced the group into a bookstore attached to one wing of the mall. It had been a while since Penny had read a book just for fun. It wasn’t that she disliked books. There was just so much homework most nights that she found herself trying to escape from reading instead of into a good book.

  Penny was walking around the store, flipping through the Neverland app on her phone, as Emma picked up books she thought they might like. Penny had stopped to text someone when one of the employees accidentally bumped into her. He was carrying a huge cardboard box full of books.

  “Sorry about that,” he said.

  He had an average face, unmemorable. Penny said not to worry about it and glanced back at her phone, but as the man turned the corner, she noticed that he had dropped one of his books. Penny leaned over to pick it up. The cover caught her eye. A great lightning bolt striking the portrait of a young girl. She liked how messy the girl’s hair looked. Hers was always so neat and straight, and it was such a pain to curl it into something more fun.

  She glanced at the title: Indira Story and the Thunder Brothers.

  Indira Story. It was an odd name. She really liked it. Penny had always felt boring, safe. But Indira Story? Now that name sounded bold. She could feel an adventure waiting there.

  She flipped to the first page and started to read. It felt a lot like being brought back to life. The first five pages hammered their way into her heart. This Indira was tough. Penny liked that. Characters who backed down or shied away weren’t any fun. It was the tough ones, the fighters, that she had always liked reading about. She read five more pages in a blink, and before long she felt that she was actually there, in the story. She felt as if the author knew her.

  It felt good. To be known like that. To see herself in this imaginary world.

  “Penny?” She wasn’t certain how long she’d been reading, but Emma and the girls stood by the store’s entrance. “We’re heading out. Ready?”

  Their stares almost had her setting the book on the nearest shelf. She hesitated for just a moment and then clutched it breathlessly to her chest. She walked straight to the register. A kind man helped her with the purchase and even slid a bookmark into it, free of charge.

  Penny flipped to the first page and nudged Emma.

  “You’ll love the start of this book.”

  Emma, being edgy and unpredictable, asked Penny to read it to her.

  She started at the beginning.

  “Every cage has a key….”

  Acknowledgments

  One of the most valuable lessons I learned in high school was that I am the main character of my own story. Too often I was sitting on the sidelines and waiting for someone else to steal the show. It took me a long time to learn that the main character isn’t necessarily the strongest or the smartest person in the room. To be a protagonist, you simply have to be active in the outcome of your story. That’s a choice we get to make every day, and I would urge everyone—but especially my young readers—to start engaging with the world. Ask great questions. Take risks. Make friends. Dance a lot. You are a worthy main character, and we can’t wait to see where your story goes.

  The second most valuable lesson I learned is that it is an honor to be a side character in the stories of others. We get to play the part of the best friend and the comic relief and a thousand other roles. I wanted to make sure I thanked the people who played those roles in my life.

  To Anne Dailey, Lynn Flood, Susan Letts, and so many other teachers: Every day you walk into school and become a side character in the stories of hundreds of students. You are a voice of reason, a whisper of encouragement, an invitation into more. Thank you for what you do.

  To Catherynne Valente: I still remember reading The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making for the first time. Every page felt so full of wonder and joy and whimsy. Thank you for extending an important invitation to a writer who was still finding his way. Your prose gave me permission to have fun in my own stories. I am quite sure that Saving Fable would not exist if I hadn’t read your books.

  To Emily Easton, Samantha Gentry, and the team at Random House: Most people have no idea how much time and energy you pour into the books they eventually read and love. I’ll always imagine you as the editors in this very book, sporting your Men in Black sunglasses as you sweep in to clean up my latest manuscript. Thank you so much for all that you do. As always, I owe my own Deus Ex Machina—Josh Redlich—all the thanks in the world for snapping his fingers and making things happen for this book. Couldn’t have done it without you.

  A huge thank-you to Maike Plenzke. Knowing how difficult it can be to bring something imagined to life, I was so grateful for your dedicated approach to the cover of this book. Indira, Maxi, and Phoenix are perfect. It was amazing to see your vision for the characters I have come to love. Thank you so much.

  To Kristin Nelson and the team at Nelson Literary Agency: Thank you for being the first ones to believe in this project. I went through the query process with this book. It didn’t find a home, but a few years later, I set it in your hands. Your faith in this story and my voice never wavered.

  To my wife and son: Any color or brightness in the worlds I create comes from knowing you.

  I’ll end with a reminder to boldly be both a protagonist and a side character. You can start right now. Jump right into life. You get to decide what happens next. And at the same time, find the people who need you—whether it’s for a day or for a year—and boldly step into their lives too. Offer an encouraging word. Make someone laugh. You never know how one little moment might echo. We could all use a little more of Mrs. Pennington in our lives.

  About the Author

  SCOTT REINTGEN is a former public school teacher and still spends his summers teaching middle schoolers dark fiction and fantasy at Duke Young Writers’ Camp. The birth of his son has convinced him that magic is actually real. He lives in North Carolina, surviving mostly on cookie dough and the love of his wife, Katie. Scott is the author of the Nyxia Triad, and Saving Fable is his middle-grade debut. You can follow him on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter at @Scott_Thought.

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